Review - Logbook Portfolio

Making sure you have all your important ballooning paper work when checking in at a balloon event or just trying to keep up with it at home, in a neat and orderly manner, can be a hassle. Especially if you do not have a well organized and executed plan. For those who would like, or need, a better system Chris Brewer, Free Spirit, Inc., Central Point, Oregon, has developed a handy ballooning document portfolio to keep all those important flight papers in one convenient place.

Brewer first introduced his "logbook cover" to pilots in the Pacific Northwest. He has been receiving favorable feedback from pilots and event officials. At the 1995 Great Reno Balloon Rally the FAA officials at check-in thought that the portfolio was an excellent idea for keeping all of the necessary paper work in one place.

The portfolio case is made out of leather and comes in black, burgundy, or blue. Other colors may be special ordered. The portfolio folds out to three compartments. The case measures approximately seven by nine inches and, with two logbooks, is approximately an inch-and-a-half thick.

When unfolded, the left hand compartment has two clear windows for the aircraft airworthiness certificate and aircraft registration certificate. The center and right hand pockets are designed to hold your pilot and aircraft logbooks. The portfolio is a universal design to accommodate all logbooks. Behind each of the three pockets is additional storage area for your other important ballooning documents like an insurance policy or a copy of your aircraft manual. There is even a place to keep a pen handy so you can enter the important flight data.

If the standard portfolio structure doesn’t quite work, no problem. The portfolio can be custom built to a customer’s specification. Give Brewer your specifications and he will be happy to quote a price for a custom portfolio to hold all of your stuff.

The Logbook Portfolio is available for $20 plus $3 shipping and handling (Canada and International orders contact for shipping costs) from Free Spirit, Inc. P.O. Box 5129, Central Point, OR 97502 or call (541) 664-8528.